Burkina Faso’s silent purge: Voices vanish under junta rule
Arrests of journalists and judges mark Burkina Faso’s latest move to silence dissent and consolidate control.
According to RFI on October 14th, several senior journalists and magistrates in Burkina Faso were detained by individuals identifying themselves as members of the National Intelligence Agency.
The arrests, which took place in Ouagadougou, saw at least three magistrates and multiple editors from private newspapers taken to undisclosed locations, marking one of the junta’s most aggressive moves yet against independent voices.
Among the detained magistrates is Urbain Meda, who presided over the landmark trial into the assassination of Thomas Sankara. Two others, Benoit Zoungrana and Seydou Sanou, were also reported missing on October 11th – 12th, while lawyer Arnaud Sempebre apparently remains untraceable.
As for the journalists, it was editors from L’Observateur Paagla and Le Pays who were reportedly taken from their offices by the self-claimed intelligence agents and moved to an unknown destination. Since they were taken, there has been no communication.
This is not the first time the junta has targeted the press. According to Human Rights Watch, in April 2025 members of the Burkinabe Journalists Associations (AJB), including its president Guezouma Sanogo, were arrested after publicly denouncing the governments growing restriction on media freedom. Soon after, a video circulated on social media showing the journalists in military uniforms, suggesting they were forcefully conscripted into military service.
The junta has also expelled foreign journalists from the country. French journalists from Le Monde and Liberation were expelled in 2023, as well as suspending all broadcasts from FRANCE24.
In addition to these arrests, Burkna Faso’s junta has also detained humanitarian workers. As reported by Maghrebi, eight humanitarian workers from the Hague-based INSO NGO, were arrested on the grounds of “spying and treason.” Authorities alleged that despite being suspended from operations, the INSO members continued to covertly conduct activities and meetings in person online.
The detentions of journalists, magistrates, and aid workers signify the junta’s increasingly aggressive campaign to stifle independent voices and consolidate power across all sectors of Burkina Faso’s society.
RFI, Human Rights Watch, FRANCE24, Maghrebi
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